Safety signal



Mrch 10, 1942. H, A YBANEZ 2,275,711?

` SAFETY SIGNAL Filed April 2, 1941 "5 oovaoo --oooovoa v as: 16

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face of the tower which Patented Mar. 10, 1942 Hiram A. Ybanez. Jacksonville, F1a.;` assignor of one-half to Jessie Howard, Jacksonville, Fla.

Application spine", 1941, seriaino'f'ssassi 4 claims. l (ci. 11s- 67) This invention relates to a portable signal.`

An object of the invention is the provision of a signal for use on a roadway or other path for warning approaching automobiles that there is an obstruction of some kind in the way, the signal being collapsible so that it may be folded into a neat compact unitary structure and easily transported.

Another object of the invention is `the provision of a non-inflammable safety signal for warning approaching automobiles of dangerous travel on a highway in which a collapsible tower or post is mounted on arigid base member which if struck will be moved from its vertical position while at the same time releasing a trigger that will explode `a torpedo to provide a loud report as an additional warning to the driver of the automobile, thetower being provided with a plurality of reflectors for a visual signal.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a safety signal inwhich a collapsible tower or post is mounted on a base member in such a manner that if it is struck by an approaching automobile said tower will be knocked over, a latch member for retaining the tower in` a vertical position being also made operative to strike a torpedo or cap when the tower is tilted for giving a loud report as a warning to a driver of an automobile, the tower or post being collapsible 1 so that the signal may be folded in a neat, compact mass, reiiectors being provided on the surare illuminated by a flare mounted in the base.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detaileddescription,` in view of the accompanying drawing forming apart of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of suchchanges and modifications as dene no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

AFigure 1 is a View in elevation of a safetysignal constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. I I

Figure 2 is a view in perspective `of the signal folded in av compact mass for transportation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. l 1

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-.4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-#5 of Figure 3.

kandfl on the line 6.-I of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 'l-l of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, IU designates a base member from which rises a shell or upstandingprotecting iiange II and the base member and shell are preferably formed of cast iron and are vcast as one piece. The flange II is inclined inwardly towards the center at an acute angle from the periphery of the base member, but the flange projects froma portion only Figure 6` is a fragmentary Vertical section taken `cf the periphery. The remaining portion of the base member is devoid of the ange.

At one end of the flange II is formed a cham-Y ber I 2-fby means of the additional walls I3 and I4. This chamber is adapted to be supplied with fuel into which is inserted a wick I5. The outer ,endg oi therwickis received by the usual wick operating means I6 which is threaded into an opening il in the flange II.

A tower or post, generally designated by the numeral 20, is pivotally mounted on the base member lil by means of a hinge 2|. p This post is composed of a plurality of telescopic sections 2'2 to 25, inclusive. maintained in extended relation by a coil spring -26 which rests upon a bottom 21 of the lower section 25. The upper endof the coil spring presses against a top 28 of the extreme upper section 22. These sections may be collapsed by forcing downwardly on the topsection so that they will be telescoped into a compact mass as shown in Figure 2 within thelowermost section 25. When they have been compressed 4to the position shown in Figure 2 a metal strap, generl ally designated by the numeral 29 which is se-.

cured at 38 to the bottom of the base member I, is drawn tight over the top of the compressed section and a hook 3| onthe free end of the strap is yengaged within a notch 32 `formed in the side wall of thebase member iii diametrically opposite the connected part 3G. 2'2 is moved downwardly the sections 23 are moved within each other against `the tension of the spring 26 until the next to the last section 24 together with the uppermost sections are forced within thelower section 25. Itwill be noted that when the sections are completely tele-` scoped they will ber disposed in protected `relation by the flange II whichterminates short of the upper edge of the lowermost section 25.

Each of thehsections as shown in Figures 1 are provided Witha plurality of reiiector's` 33 which are embedded in the faces of the sec- The telescopic sections are As the section tion so that when `the wick l5 is lighted these reilectors will be illuminated whereby the driver of an approaching vehicle should not only see the reector by the reflected light from his headlights, but he should also see the flare from the lighted wick and also the reilected light from the flare.

A flag 35 is provided with a stem 26 which is adapted to be inserted within a perforation 31 in the top 28 of the uppermost section 22. This ag is likewise provided with a plurality of reflectors 38 which will reflect light back to the driver of an approaching automobile.

A coil spring lit is secured to the base member I0 and also to the lowermost section 25, as shown at 4l, so as to cause the post 20 to spring back into vertical position when it has been tilted to one side as when it is struck by an approaching automobile and when the automobile has been moved away from the post.

The bottom section 25 of the post is provided with a catch 42 which is engaged by the free end 43 of a lever lli pivoted at i5 to brackets 45 eX-` tending upwardly from the base member Il) and housed by the iiange ll. A U-shaped springy 41 has its free vend pressing upon the lever 44 while the ends of the arms of the spring are inserted in perforated lugs i3 projecting from the side walls of a pair of brackets 119. Thus, it will be seen that the lever lli is pressed' upon the catch d2 by the spring 41 at all times for retaining the post in elevated position.

` from which the brackets i9 extend. These brackets rise from a block 52 which is secured to the base member lil. Upon the shaft is rolled a tape 53 carrying spaced torpedo caps 5A. This tape, as shownjat 53a, is adapted to be moved beneath a hammer 55 located on the under face of the lever ifi so that when the lever is released it will be rapidly snapped downwardly by the spring 41 so that the hammer 55 will strike the cap 54a on the tape 53 which is resting upon an anvil 56 formingl part of the block 52.

An inturned flange 56 on one end of the flange l l is substantially in line with the wall I3 of the chamber l2 and substantially closes that portion of thespace which is opposite the chamber l2.

Theoperation of my device is as follows: The

assembled signals shown in Figure 2 are carried out to various places required and after they have been established on the roadway or on'the ground the strap is released whence the spring 26 will cause the sections of the post 29 to be extended. The stemV of the ag 35 isfthen inserted in the opening 31 in the section 22 of the post. In this position the post is maintained ina vertical position by means of the lever lll engaging the catch 42 at the bottom of the post and also by the spring 4i). l

During the night the flare when desired may be lighted, although the reflectors 33 on the post 2Ill should loe sufficient to warn the driver of an approaching automobile that it will be necessary for him to check his speed or stop to investigate before proceeding further. i

However, if the automobile is traveling too fast for the driver `to stop the same he will run into the post` and tilt the post to the right from ,the position shown in Figures l and 4. When this occurs the catch 42 is moved up and thus forces the free end of the lever 44 upwardly against the tension of the spring 51. When the catch 42 passes the free end of the leversaid lever will be forced downwardly substantially instantly whereby the hammer 55 will strike the `cap 54a and thus When the safety signal has been compressed rinto a compact mass as shown at Figure 2, the

flag 35 is laid upon'the base member l!! and maintained in place by the metal strap 2S,

I claim:

1. A portable signal comprising a base, a vertical post mounted on the base, a hinge connecting the bottom of the post at a point along the periphery thereof to the base so that the post may be tilted to one side of the vertical, a catch on the post diametrically opposite the hinge, a detonating means on the base and including a lever pivoted on the base and having one end resting on the catch on the post for retaining said post vertically, a spring for retaining said end of the lever in engagement with the catch, means for supplying torpedo caps below a portion of the lever so that when the post has been struck by a car and tilted sufhciently the catch will be raised for instantly raising the rst mentioned end of the lever against the tension of the spring until said end of the lever is released from the catch whence the spring will return the lever for violently striking the cap.

2. A portable signal comprising a base, a vertically disposed post, means hinging the post on the base so that said post may be tilted, a catch mounted on the post opposite the hinge, a lever pivoted on the base and having the free end resting on the catch to retain the post in a vertical position, said lever provided with a hammer, a spring pressing on the lever and holding said lever against the catch so that when the post is tilted and the catch is raised the lever will be raised until the free end of the lever slips oil the catch whence said lever and hammer will be violently returned by the spring, and means for supplying torpedo caps beneath the hammer.

3. A portable signal comprising a base, a vertically disposed post, means hinging the post on the base so that said post may be tilted, a catch mounted on the post opposite the hinge, a lever i pivoted on the base and having the free end f engaging the catch toretain the postinv a vertical position, said lever provided with a hammer, a spring urging the free end of the lever on the catch so that when 'the post is tilted, the catch and lever will be raised until the iree end of the lever slips cri the catch and said hammer and lever will be violently returned .by the spring, a shell rising from the base in protective relation with the lever and means for supplying torpedo caps beneath the hammer.V

4. A collapsible portable signal comprising a base adapted to be placed cn the ground, a hous.

ing mounted on the base and composed of a plurality of telescoping conical sections,ra coil spring rising from the base, located within the housing and adapted to maintain the sections in vertical extended relation, means for hingedly con-v necting the bottom section of the housing to the base member, a lug projecting from the lower section of the housing at La point diametricallv opposite the hinge means, a lever pivoted at one end on the base member, the free end of the lever resting upon the lug, a spring pressing the lever on to the lug, and a protective wall rising from the base member, the spring pressed lever being located between the protective Wall and` the lug on the housing so that when the housing adjacent the lug is struck by an automobile moving toward that part of said housing which carries the lug, the housing will be thrown to a horizontal position away from the lever and be 5 protected from injury by the wall.

HIRAM A. YBANEZ. 

